Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-02-14
BEN HOGAN.
A Lecture on " The Dark and Bright Sic
of His Iife.o

A
of His Life"
Ben Hogan, the converted pugilist, ad.
dressed a large audience of young men
at the Young Mems Christian Association
rooms at $3.50 P. NJ. yesterday. Mr.. Hogan
though not especially gifted in oratory, is
an earnest, energetic speaker, and, notwith-
standing his former life as pugilist, does
not seem out of place in the pulpit. His
subject Mans Heaven and Hell on
Earth" he illustrated by numerous per-
sonal experiences, and pictured the life of
the young man in the tolls of sin in plain
language as he had seen him, and spoke at
length on the influence of evil companion
ship, which entangles the unsuspecting and
leads them to ruin. He regarded a man
leading an upright and cody life as a man
with heaven on EARTH and as the grandest,
noblest type OF manhood.
At P. NJ. Mr.. Hogan delivered lecture
on the Dark and Bright Side of His Life, +"
at the Ninth-street Baptist Church, and
despite bad weather, the church and lee
ture-room were well filed.
The speaker stated that in relating the
history Of his life he took no pride, but
only told of it to show how weak and de-
graded a strong man could become. He
was born in Barren, Switzerland, of Ger
man and French parentage. For eight
years after emigrating to America he con-
Quoted different gymnasiums in New York,
after which time he moved to the oil
regions of Pennsylvania, where he made
his name notorious throughout that
entire district. At one time he
was the owner of sixteen places
of amusement, three of which were
open day and night-to the last of which,
as he expressed it, it cost 90 cents to get in,
and all the way from S. to $500 to gel. out
His notoriety was such that it was said
visit to the oil regions was not complete
without a visit to Ben. Hogans place.
During trip to New York city, eight
years ago, while at the full tide of his sport
ing career, and while trying to escape his
wife's company in order to join some of his
companions, he dropped into place of, as
he supposed, amusement, but, as it after
wards proved to be, Y. NJ. G. A meeting,
and there for the first lime in his life list
ened to the singing of gospel hymns. When
the leader read the lesson he asked his
wife if that was a Bible he was reading
from, and was told it was. This meeting
led to his conversion, and, although he
could not read, he continued to attend the
meetings, memorizing passages as well as
ne was able, relying on the assistance OF
friends to teach him to read from the Bible.
When this step was taken the word "Ben
Hogan is mad' went throughout all the
sporting circles in New York. He then
visited his old home in the oil regions, not
to continue in his Ubiquitous life of former
years, but to try to rebuild where he had torn
down the kingdom of God, and when he
went to them they knew he was sincere ;
they knew he was in earnest, for there was
nothing for him to gain where he had laid
waste, except souls.
In concluding his remarks he stated his
mission was an humble one; that he was
willing to work wherever God called him,
not for money, not for notoriety, but for
Christ and humanity.
Mr.. Hogan announced it as his purpose
to secure a hall and conduct series of
meetings, or, as he termed it, open a
campaign against Satan" if he could secure
the assistance of few Christian people.
All he wanted was the help and co-opera-
ton of all denominations and the approval
of God, and he would move the sin-beset
city, reclaim the man from the gutter,
bring back the hayward son, and give him
back to his father and mother.